...and you thought liquids were bad?

Aviation Aviation News
1

Baggage ban on batteries begins! ( gotta love alliteration LPer )

Fri Dec 28, 1:25 PM ET

WASHINGTON - To help reduce the risk of fires, air travelers will no longer be able to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage beginning Jan. 1, the Transportation Department said Friday.

Passengers can still check baggage with lithium batteries if they are installed in electronic devices, such as cameras, cell phones and laptop computers. If packed in plastic bags, batteries may be in carry on baggage. The limit is two batteries per passenger.

The ban affects shipments of non-rechargeable lithium batteries, such as those made by Energizer Holdings Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co.'s Duracell brand.

“Doing something as simple as keeping a spare battery in its original retail packaging or a plastic zip-lock bag will prevent unintentional short-circuiting and fires,” Krista Edwards, deputy administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, said in a release.

The Federal Aviation Administration has found that fire-protection systems in the cargo hold of passenger planes can’t put out fires sparked in lithium batteries.

The National Transportation Safety Board earlier this month said it could not rule out lithium batteries as the source of a cargo plane fire at Philadelphia International Airport last year.

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071228/ap_ … ies_travel

2

The ban affects shipments of non-rechargeable lithium batteries, such as those made by Energizer Holdings Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co.'s Duracell brand.

The key here is “LOOSE, non-rechargeable lithium”!

I can hear the TSA lackies in the “non-rechargeable lithium battery ban” training classes.

Student 1: So I hear we get to arrest anyone carrying loose batteries in their CHECKED baggage?

Instructor: No, we only confiscate LOOSE, NON-RECHARGEABLE LITHIUM BATTERIES in excess of a quantity of two.

Student 2: But what if they’re rechargeable batteries? Do we still get to arrest them?

Student 3: Yeah! Can we arrest them if they have new, packaged nickel metal Hydrides?

Instructor: No, we only confiscate LOOSE, NON-RECHARGEABLE LITHIUM BATTERIES in excess of a quantity of two.

Student 1: Where’s the fun in that? Can we detain them if they LOOK like their carrying new, packaged Nickel Metal Hydrides?

Instructor: Your job is not supposed to be “fun”.

Student 2: …you’re telling me!

Student 3: So what about Non-Rechargeable Lithium Batteries?

Instructor: We allow travellers to carry two loose ones. If someone is carrying more than two loose ones, take away the extras.

Student 2: So if we see two loose ones, then we must take away all of their packaged batteries?

Instructor: http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b8/CheckM8/Insane.gif

3

Show me one cell phone or laptop that uses a non-rechargeable lithium cell. Cell phones and laptops don’t use lithium-thionyl chloride, lithium sulfur dioxide, lithium manganese dioxide or any of the other 16 chemistries of non-rechargeable lithium batteries affected by this ban. Those devices do use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which are not affected here and are famous for producing some pretty intense flames and fires.

The ban affects shipments of non-rechargeable lithium batteries, such as those made by Energizer Holdings Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co.'s Duracell brand.

“Doing something as simple as keeping a spare battery in its original retail packaging or a plastic zip-lock bag will prevent unintentional short-circuiting and fires,” Krista Edwards, deputy administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, said in a release.

Does each cell need to be in it’s own bag to defeat the definition of ‘loose’?

The Federal Aviation Administration has found that fire-protection systems in the cargo hold of passenger planes can’t put out fires sparked in lithium batteries.

Again, ignoring the real issue of lithium-ion fires.

The National Transportation Safety Board earlier this month said it could not rule out lithium batteries as the source of a cargo plane fire at Philadelphia International Airport last year.

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071228/ap_ … ies_travel

This affects the ubiquitous CR123A used in photo applications, flashlights, and about a million other applications. Lithium coin & button cells like the CR2025, Lithium AAs like the Energizer e2 for cameras which are all highly stable and not prone to fires are being incorrectly targeted. It does nothing to address the real threat which is the high energy densities currently being packed into rechargeable li-Ion batteries that are mass produced under little quality control in a multitude of 3rd world Asian countries.

Now the counter agent and/or the TSA flunkies running the checked baggage scanner is going to have know the difference between primary and secondary lithium batteries, the 19 chemistries of primary cells, the 5 chemistries of secondary lithium batteries and the definition of “loose”.

Right.